Site logo

Solid Employment Number and Greek Bombs Diffused

Employment highlights – * The participation rate went back up 0.2 and the unemployment rate still held steady at 8.3%. * There were some decent revisions to January payrolls (+28k) and December payrolls (+14k) * The broader U6 rate fell from 15.1% to 14.9% * The last...

Greece Defaults – Euro, Spoo, 10yr and Bund All Unchanged

(BN) *ISDA SAYS CREDIT EVENT HAS OCCURRED WITH RESPECT TO GREECE (BN) *GREECE CREDIT SWAPS AUCTION TO BE `EXPEDITED,' ISDA SAYS "I've always said publicly that default is out of the question," – Trichet "There will be no default." – Rehn “People fail to see the costs...

Just a Friendly Reminder – the Bazooka is Locked and Loaded

Since the beginning of the crisis, the Fed has wanted to issue its own brand of bills. Rather than generating huge quantities of excess reserves, and be accused of reckless “printing”, the Fed would have preferred to drain the cash from long end QE purchases through...

Hit the Bid, Get in the Panic room, Ahhhhhh!!!!!

Those who come to the party late, and buy the local highs in risky assets, will have an expensive admission ticket! But those who diligently follow the orders of the global central banks, keep their party hats securely fastened and stay at the party even when it is...

Coup on Kaiserstrasse

Since the LTRO announcement EURUSD is down almost 3 figures. The markets are correctly adjusting to a fundamental change in European monetary policy. Whether the hardliners want to admit it or not, the balance sheet expanders have finally taken control of the EUR...

The Europeans Enter the Global Reflation Trade – Finally!

The big events for the week are done. Bernanke spoke and Draghi opened the spigot. The LTRO was by far the more important event of the week, and the naysayers on its effectiveness were quietly taken out back to the woodshed for one final and gruesome pummeling. Open...

Questions for Rebelo and Eichenbaum

Next Tuesday evening in Chicago we are going to host another Global Macro Speaker Series event. This time I will be moderating a discussion with Sergio Rebelo and Marty Eichenbaum. Both are professors from the Kellogg school at Northwestern University. We have a few...

Spoos Crushed 93% of USTs Over the Last 2yrs – 100% Soon

As spoos move within inches of the April 2010 highs, and are now less than 14% off their all-time highs, I thought it would be a useful time to provide some retrospective thoughts on just how much the US is NOT like Japan. The Federal Reserve’s policy of financial...

The Global Currency Prisoner’s Dilemma Game

By now most of us are sick of reading (and writing) about Greece. Yes it’s a big deal. Yes there will be market dislocations. Yes there will be contagion effects to other sovereigns. And yes, the Greeks will never pay back what was lent to them. Timing remains...

Gross vs Minsky

Whether it’s the monthly investment outlook, or the occasional op-ed piece, Bill Gross is always a must read. And even if one doesn't necessarily agree, the colorful market metaphors are sure to entertain. His piece in the FT yesterday, entitled "Zero-based money...